PER UN AMICO

Per un Amico is an eclectic mix of styles, including a little bit of jazziness ("Geranio") and a bit of what today we'd call "crossover prog" in the form of the title track. Nonetheless, on their second album, Premiata Forneria Marconi sticks close to the combination of styles on their debut, Storia Di Un Minuto, released ten months earlier: prog- folk and classically-oriented rock music along the lines of Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Yes. But while the influences are similar, Per un Amico is not just a rehash of Storia Di Un Minuto.

To begin with, the balance of those influences has tipped in favor of the symphonic. Per un Amico is more energetic; while much of Storia Di Un Minuto was pastoral, subtle, and deliberate, the approach here is relatively forceful, dynamic, and spontaneous. While these qualities aren't superior per se, they seem to suit PFM better.

Secondly, the band seems slightly more confident. In retrospect, we can see an increase in risk-taking over their first three albums; for example, the near-camp of "Generale," which would've fit nicely on an early Steve Howe solo album, most certainly would not have fit on PFM's debut. While "Generale" isn't really successful, the band's next move is. "Per un Amico," which finds the band confidently mixing contrasting styles, is an early high point in the young band's discography. While the PFM of late 1972 isn't yet competitive with Focus for the Least Self-Conscious Prog Band Award, they're heading in that direction on Per un Amico.

Ultimately, Per un Amico is another good album from this Italian group. While it surpasses Storia Di Un Minuto, it's nonetheless a three-star album, albeit on the higher end of the three-star range. Of course, that's just my opinion: 88% of Prog Archives reviewers rate each album higher than I do! In fact, they are considered to be two of the top three Rock Progressivo Italiano albums of all time. I prefer to think of them as Symphonic Prog albums comparable in quality to Focus's Hamburger Concerto (1974) or Genesis's Nursery Cryme (1971) - - good, and worth listening to, but not essential. And very much like Genesis in 1971, Premiata Forneria Marconi would soon surpass itself again with its next album.